A medication error can happen when a doctor orders the wrong drug or medical staff give you the wrong dose. If the mistake harms you, it may support a medical malpractice claim.
In Indiana, a medical malpractice claim generally requires you to show that a health care provider gave you substandard care and that the mistake caused your injury. The standard of care refers to the care and skill a reasonably careful provider would use under similar conditions.
When a medication mistake falls below the standard of care
A bad reaction to a drug does not by itself mean that your provider committed malpractice. The main issue is whether the provider handled your medication with reasonable care based on the information available at the time.
A doctor may prescribe the wrong drug or choose an unsafe dose. A provider might also overlook part of your medical history or a known drug interaction. These errors can fall below the standard of care when a reasonably careful provider would have avoided them.
How medical records can help show the cause
Your records can show when the medication error happened and how your health changed afterward. A prescription or medical chart can identify the drug and dose you received. Later treatment notes may document new symptoms or a decline in your condition.
These records become more useful when you already had an illness or injury. They may help separate symptoms you had before the mistake from problems that appeared later. They also show when you sought more care and what your providers found.
Keeping useful information together
You may want to save prescription records, medication labels and treatment notes tied to the error. If the wrong drug or dose caused serious harm, consider also keeping records from any follow-up care you received. These materials might help you understand what happened and get ready for any legal steps you later consider.